


The Secret Ingredient

by Elaine_Fury



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Acts Like a Cat, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Identity Reveal, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Makes Puns, Alya Césaire Ships It, Chat Noir Being Chat Noir, Chat Noir/Ladybug Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Hot Mess Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Identity Reveal, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Identity Reveal, Mentioned Nino Lahiffe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-27
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:48:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26675407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elaine_Fury/pseuds/Elaine_Fury
Summary: Since that fateful day, every thought of Adrien sent Marinette diving headlong into memories of his unique ambrosia. An aromatic bouquet that can only be described as spicy and warm. He was a combination of clove and orange flowers and vanilla and spiced chestnut (and something else she couldn’t quite put her finger on). Adrien the Fragrance had NOTHING on Adrien in the flesh.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 17
Kudos: 171





	1. He Smells...Amazing!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette's recent obsession with Adrien's cologne leads to an interesting project.

Though it was a seemingly uneventful field trip overall, that disastrous train ride to London had gifted Marinette with two wonderful things: 1) A photograph of herself sleeping on the shoulder of ONE Adrien Agreste, and 2) A never-to-be-forgotten olfactory map of Adrien’s delicious scent. Both were courtesy of the brilliant schemes of incomparable wingwoman and best friend 5eva, Alya Césaire.

Since that fateful day, every thought of Adrien sent Marinette diving headlong into memories of his unique ambrosia. An aromatic bouquet that can only be described as spicy and warm. He was a combination of clove and orange flowers and vanilla and spiced chestnut (and something else she couldn’t quite put her finger on). _Adrien the Fragrance_ had NOTHING on Adrien in the flesh.

“Mari, what exactly are you doing?” Alya inquired from her reclined position on the chaise in Marinette’s room, half-completed graphic novel resting against her chest. “You’ve been sniffing those four bottles for the past twenty minutes.”

“I-I’m...uh...umm...m-making a room spray with essential oils,” Marinette supplied a little too quickly, nervously tapping her index fingers together. “Just studying up on the perfume distillation process. Y-you know. Fashion industry research and whatnot.”

“Stammering? Really!?” Alya asked, eyebrow raised and peering over the top of her glasses. “That excuse was weak as hell. Spill!”

“Okay, so you know how I fell asleep on Adrien during that field trip to London?”

“Girl,” Alya chuckled, kicking her legs over the edge and lifting herself to a seated position. “I’m the one single-handedly orchestrating this revolving door of meet cutes, and filling your Marinette Agreste scrapbook. So, yes!”

“Alya!”

“It’s true! When you’re married with ‘three beautiful children and a hamster,’ you’ll be thanking me for archiving your precious memories.”

“Fine! Thank you, Alya, for being the best friend ever,” Marinette deadpanned. “And for throwing me into situations with Adrien without my knowledge or consent.”

To say that Marinette was deeply embarrassed about unwittingly falling asleep on the shoulder of her crush was an understatement. Honestly, Marinette heaped enough cringe onto her daily interactions with the “Golden Boy of Paris” to keep her cheeks perennially rose-tinted. All _without_ Alya’s well-intentioned interference. In spite of the mild discomfort of yet another awkward interaction, Marinette was delighted to have shared such an intimate moment with him.

“You’re welcome! Now, what were you saying about those essential oils?”

“Oh, right! So that trip was the first time that I’ve ever been _that_ close to Adrien for an extended period of time. And he smelled…” Marinette trailed off wistfully.

“Amazing?”

“Oh my god! Yes. He smells amazing. I’ve been trying to replicate his scent since we got back from London. And that trip to New York helped me figure out the perfect combination of base and top notes. But something is still missing.”

“Damn, girl! Your dad has always joked he should start offering wine pairings because of his in-house ‘mini sommelier.’ Guess I’ve never gotten to see your amazing skills at work.”

It was true that Marinette was undeniably gifted in this department. Thanks to years living and working in a bakery, Marinette had cultivated a sharp palate. When her parents changed suppliers for the bakery, she spent a week sniffing and taste-testing batches of pastries just to make sure that the new ingredients didn’t impact the recipes. Eating all of those baked goods made patrolling particularly exhausting.

“Ah, it’s nothing really. Part of the process really was for educational purposes. Just to see if I could do it. But being able to smell Adrien any time I want? Well…”

“Building your own personal batch of _Adrien No. 4_? Looks like your obsession just levelled-up!”

“Well, when you put it like that…” Marinette demurred, a dejected look darkening her features.

“Hey! Don’t beat yourself up about it. I wasn’t trying to shame you,” Alya backtracked, walking over to hug Marinette.

Sometimes Alya forgot how delicately she had to tread around the Adrien topic. When Marinette tearfully revealed that Adrien was in love with some mystery girl, it took everything Alya had not to go straight to the Agreste mansion and interrogate the shit out of him. Alya was still working to get to the bottom of that one, and Nino was literally no help on that front. But she loved her incompetent nerd of a boyfriend anyway.

“Do you remember the hat Nino lost around the time we started dating?” Alya continued, pulling back from their brief embrace.

“Oh, yeah. He and Adrien searched the school for days trying to find that thing.”

“I stole it.”

“You what?!”

“I took his hat, and never told him about it.” Alya said with an air of self-satisfaction. “I just wanted to have something that reminded me of him.”

Marinette giggled at the admission. “I can’t believe all this time you’ve been holding onto that hat. He was devastated when he lost it.”

“Yeah, he was. But who bought him a replacement a week later? Me.”

The ridiculousness of Alya’s confession had them both laughing in earnest, eventually blossoming into hysterics. After a few minutes they came down from their fit, wiping tears out of their eyes and clutching their sides while chuckling intermittently.

“You’re a diabolical genius!” Marinette said, awestruck.

“Thank you. Thank you.” Alya bowed. “Basically, Mari, you are exhibiting typical crush behavior. We’ve all done something a little weird when it comes to the person we like.”

“It feels like all I ever do are weird and embarrassing things when it comes to Adrien.”

“Well, you are making significant progress on that front. Rome wasn’t built in a day, babe.”

“That’s very true,” Marinette nodded thoughtfully. “I guess there are worse things I could be doing with my time than making an air freshener that smells like the boy I lo-like.”

“Exactly!” Alya pretended not to hear where Marinette was going with that statement. She knew Marinette’s self-restraint was the only way she could reconcile herself with the fact that Adrien liked someone else. She was trying so hard to be a good friend to him, but her feelings hadn’t really changed. It broke Alya’s heart.

“Thanks for cheering me up, lady!”

“Anytime!” Alya tipped an imaginary hat. “Oh, crap. Dude, what time is it?”

“ _Dude_ , you have been hanging with Nino far too much.” Marinette glanced over at her computer, “It’s 6:30.”

“Aww man! I’ve got to get home so that I can help my sister with dinner,” Alya groused while shoving her comic into her bag. “My parents are having a ‘romantic evening,’ and we’re fending for ourselves tonight. I’ll never hear the end of it if I don’t get home soon.”

“Your parents are going on a date? That’s super cute.”

“Yeah, it would be adorable if it didn’t make me want to gag. Anyway, I’ll catch you later. Maybe we can hang out tomorrow afternoon. Wanna knock out that physics homework with me and Nino before the test on Monday?”

“I forgot all about that test,” Marinette said despondently. She made a noise that was part whine, part groan.

“Once you finish with your little chemistry project, maybe you should review your physics notes. God knows Adrien will be distraction enough at our study group.”

“Wait, Adrien is studying with you guys tomorrow?”

“Review your notes,” Alya jokingly admonished. “Later, girl!”

And with that, Alya slipped through the trap door with a wave.


	2. Right Under Your Nose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug realizes that Chat Noir and Adrien wear the same cologne. Maybe her kitten can help solve the mystery...

When Ladybug left for patrol that evening, she had a mild headache. The hours spent sniffing those essential oils had really done a number on her.

She arrived at the Eiffel Tower to find Chat Noir in the most adorable position: lying on his back in a rectangle of fading sunlight. His eyes were closed meditatively, hands beneath his head and ankles crossed. At the sound of her retracting yo-yo, Chat opened one eye—cat surveillance—then closed it again with a hum.

“Well, well, well,” Chat began as he rose from his recumbent position. “Look what the _chat_ dragged in.”

“Hardy har har, Chat,” Ladybug bandied back sardonically. “Actually, you looked really peaceful in that patch of sunlight. Sorry to have disrupted your little cat nap, Chaton. I could patrol alone, if you’d prefer. Give you more time to catch up on your beauty sleep.”

Ladybug noticed that the longer they each had their miraculous, the more they began to resemble their kwamis. Marinette had met Plagg, and knew that this behavior was ALL him. The napping in patches of sunlight, the intermittent purring, the ear twitching, and the desire to eat everything in sight. She wondered if the boy beneath the mask resented or embraced these little quirks. Somehow she figured it was the latter.

“Oh, Milady, I’ve had plenty of rest. And nothing could keep me from enjoying an enchanting evening with a beautiful lady.” He grabbed her hand, and lifted it to his lips as he held her gaze.

Chat was in rare form this evening. Slow blinking as he kissed each knuckle in turn. Ladybug hoped that he couldn’t see the flush rising just below her mask.

“You know, Chat, I’ve always found you quite charming.” She gingerly removed her hand from his. “If you weren’t such an incorrigible flirt, I might think that you were being serious.”

“Ouch! You wound me, mademoiselle.” Chat lifted a hand to his heart, feigning injury. He closed the distance between them. His face just inches from her own. “I’ll have you know that I’m always being serious when I’m with you.”

Chat was so close that Ladybug was able to smell his sun-warmed skin, the faintest hints of minty shampoo, and...

 _Wait a second, I recognize that fragrance_ , Ladybug thought as Chat Noir hovered in her personal space, smirking playfully as always. _Chat smells just like Adrien. He must know where I can find this cologne, then I can figure out that elusive final ingredient._

Ladybug’s mental cogs began turning. She grabbed Chat by the bell, jerking him down to her level.

“Pardon me, Chaton. This will only take a second.” Ladybug leaned in and inhaled deeply, trying to catch a whiff of his cologne beyond the pervasive smell of leather.

“M-M’lady? W-What are you d-d-doing!?” Chat yelped, barely suppressing the tremor in his voice. His cheeks aflame.

“You smell just like this guy that I know, and I’ve been trying and failing to replicate his scent, for...reasons.” Ladybug answered, lips lightly grazing the exposed skin at his neck as she spoke. “Where did you get this cologne?” She asked, opening his collar to gain access to the hollow at the base of his throat.

“Wait, what!? My cologne?” Chat Noir blanched, blush creeping to the tips of his ears. He swallowed thickly, Adam’s apple bobbing dramatically as he suppressed a purr.

Noticing that Chat had gone rigid under her hands, Ladybug looked up to see his pupils blown wide.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Chaton.” Ladybug released him and stepped backward, her hands raised in contrition. “I didn’t mean to surprise you like that. Or to _paw_ all over you. I’ve just been kind of obsessed with solving this mystery. Sorry.”

It was the pun that pulled him out of his blind panic. Chat loved it when Ladybug punned at him, and Ladybug knew this would endear him to her cause.

She repeated her question as sweetly as possible, giving him an approximation of that Puss-in-Boots meme.

“So, Chaton...what cologne are you wearing, and where did you get it?”

At some point Chat’s left hand had moved back to his chest, willing his blood pressure to lower and his breathing to even out. Chat Noir was regaining his composure just as he realized something else entirely.

“Hold on. _Why_ do you need to know about this cologne, Milady?” Chat queried, a grin slowly making its way to his face. “What are the ‘reasons’ for which you’ve chosen to conduct this _very thorough_ investigation?”

His smile was bordering on predatory. _Abort mission, Marinette. ABORT!_

“W-well, Chaton,” Ladybug started cautiously. “There is this person I know who wears the same fragrance, and it’s really, um, mesmerizing.”

“Mesmerizing, huh?” Chat replied with a smirk.

“Yes. And I’m just trying to distinguish the individual notes of their cologne so that I can replicate it. But there is one piece of the puzzle that continues to elude me. It’s on the tip of my tongue though...”

“Hmmm. Maybe you could tell me the elements that you already have, and I can help you suss out the ones that you can’t quite figure out.”

“Really?” Chat confirmed her question with a nod and a smile. “Thanks, Chat Noir! You are a gentleman and a scholar. Did you know that?”

Chat chuckled at the praise, then turned on the signature smarminess. “Well, thank you, Milady! While I did know that, it is always nice to hear. Especially coming from you.”

_This smug little shit..._

“Okay, Milady. What does this fragrance consist of?”

“Well, I’m pretty sure it’s a combination of orange flowers, vanilla, clove, and spiced chestnut.”

“Sounds right so far.”

“But the last note is tripping me up.”

“How so?”

“This one is incredibly distinctive,” Ladybug moved her left hand to her chin thoughtfully. “I keep getting these robust, earthy and mushroomy notes. But just when I think I can place the smell, I get distracted by the other elements. It’s almost as if the fragrance was designed to throw me off the scent.”

“Interesting! Do you have any idea what the source might be?”

“It’s incredibly commonplace, but not something particularly notable in most perfumes or colognes. The fragrance itself reminds me of mulled wine or cider. It’s as if it was created to pair with some type of food.”

“You are definitely on the right track, Milady. I’m really impressed!”

“Seriously!? Thank you, Chaton. But what is that last ingredient?”

“Wanna know a secret?”

Ladybug nodded, suddenly realizing how close she had gotten to Chat Noir as they were discussing this.

“The final note you are looking for isn’t actually _in_ the cologne.”

Ladybug offered a bewildered expression. “Come again?”

“The thing is, you were right. This cologne was built to mask the scent of something else. Specifically, camembert.”

“Camembert. Of course!” She says with an appreciative sigh. “Thank you. This is making so much sense now, Chaton!”

Her momentary elation immediately turned to confusion. “Wait a second. How do you know that it was created exclusively for that purpose?”

“Funny story, I actually designed this fragrance.”

“You did what!?”

“Well, more precisely, I _oversaw_ the designing process.”

“Are you secretly a perfumer? Should I start calling you ‘Chat le Nez’?”

“That’s funny, Milady. No, I’m not a perfumer, but I have access to individuals in that industry.”

“Look at you, Fancy Feast!” Chat chuckled at the new pet name. “That’s really awesome—and I might ask you to introduce me to some of those people later—but why create this particular cologne to be mass-produced?”

“It’s not mass-produced. This fragrance is part of an exclusive batch that is not being sold.”

“Okay. Now I’m confused. So you designed this fragrance to cover up the smell of camembert? Why?”

“Milady...” Chat gave her a knowing look.

“Oooohhh. To protect your civilian identity. That makes sense. I’m a little slow on the uptake today.”

“You’re doing great!”

“And you’re really making me work for this, Chaton.”

Chat Noir smiled inwardly.

“There’s something you’re not telling me.”

Chat looked at the ground pointedly, refusing to make eye contact with Ladybug.

“This exclusive batch of cologne was designed to protect your civilian self, but it is not being sold in stores. So how did Ad-, I mean _my friend_ , get their hands on it…”

Chat looked up, just as realization punched Marinette square in the jaw.

She took him in. All of him. The unkempt blond hair that was usually so tidy. The lithe, muscular form in head-to-toe leather instead of Gabriel brand duds. But her heart bloomed when she looked into those impossibly green eyes. Eyes that conveyed a reverence—dare she say, adoration— for the individual they beheld.

“A-Adrien!?”

“I’m so sorry, Ladybug,” Chat supplied, clearly panic-stricken. “I didn’t mean for th—”

“Adrien!” Ladybug launched forward, pulling Chat into a bear hug and knocking the wind out of him. “Of course it’s you. How did I not see this before?”

Ladybug leaned back just enough to see his bemused expression. Her hand wandered unconsciously to Chat’s cheek, thumb running delicately along the seam of his mask.

“Adrien Agreste is my beautiful, silly, wonderful partner and best friend!”

Adrien had been so afraid of what might become of this situation. Beyond the possible abandonment and rejection, his greatest fear of all was that Ladybug would take his miraculous away. While the freedom that comes along with being Chat Noir would be difficult to part with, the loss of Plagg would be even more devastating. It seemed that Lady Luck had smiled upon him.

Ladybug’s statement coaxed a genuine smile out of Chat Noir. She returned his expression with a grin, eyes sparkling mischievously.

“You know, _Mon Minou_ ,” Ladybug began, walking her fingers up his chest and ringing his bell with an impish flick. “It seems a little unfair that the two most handsome men in Paris are one in the same.”

“Oh, is that so?” Chat replied, internally fist pumping at the sky. She’d called him _her_ kitten.

“Mmhmm...” Ladybug replied with a purr. This girl would be the death of him.

“Well, _Marinette_ , I’m not really sure how I’m supposed to feel knowing that the woman I’m in love with just happens to be Ladybug.”

Ladybug went slack-jawed. “How did yo—”

Chat kissed her hard.

His arms snaked around her waist, bringing her into his chest.

When the shock wore off, Ladybug found herself kissing him back. Her fingers tangled in his hair as she tried pulling him even closer.

She eventually nosed her way back to Chat’s neck, peppering kisses along his jawline as she travelled. Ladybug inhaled audibly when she reached the underside of his jaw.

Chat began to laugh, “Milady, what exactly are you doing!?”

“Well, I’m trying to see if I can find the camembert smell hiding under all of this leather.”

“Here. Let me help you.” Chat offered, untangling their limbs. “Claws in.”

As the shimmering green dissipated, Plagg floated into view.

“Hey, Pigtails!”

“Hi, Plagg. It’s good to see you again!”

Plagg waited impatiently for the wedge of camembert in Adrien’s front pocket, hand extended in anticipation.

“Looks like you two dummies finally figured each other out,” Plagg said, downing the wedge in a single swallow, and patting his gut gratefully.

“Plagg!”

“He’s right, you know. We are dummies,” Ladybug offered. “I mean, we were right under each other’s noses, and it took me obsessing over the way you smell for us to discover our identities.”

Ladybug winced. She knew she had said too much.

“I’m sorry. Did you say that you were ‘obsessing’ over the way I smell, Bugaboo?” Adrien asked, Cheshire Cat grin consuming his lovely face.

“Ugh. This conversation will be a lot easier out of the suit. Spots off.”

Once the glittering pink of her detransformation fizzled out, Marinette was met with Adrien’s soft gaze. He was transfixed by her, suddenly realizing that his beloved classmate also happens to be the love of his life.

“Okay, Adrien, let’s just get this over with now,” Marinette rubbed her temples, hoping to will away the last bit of her headache before proceeding quickly.

“I’ve been in love with you since the moment you offered me your umbrella. I’ve tried so hard to reveal my feelings to you for ages, but it has just been one disaster after another. When I fell asleep on your shoulder during that trip to London, I kind of became obsessed with your cologne, and have basically been trying to replicate it since. Oh, and I keep turning down Chat Noir because I am in love with, well, you.”

“Is that true?” Adrien asked. “You’ve loved me for that long!?”

“It’s definitely true,” Tikki offered, floating into Adrien’s vision. “She’s done so many ridiculous things to try to get your attention. Hey, Marinette, remember that time you left that message on his phone, and had to—”

“Okay, Tikki. That’s enough,” Marinette interrupted, shooing her away. “Another story for another day.”

Tikki was so proud of her chosen for finally having the courage to be honest. She floated off merrily to join Plagg, hoping to watch everything unfold from the eaves

“You know, Marinette, the thing I remember most about that train ride is waking up to the smell of your strawberry shampoo, and how I felt the absence of your warmth against my left side for a week afterward.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“That’s literally the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me.”

“There’s more where that came from.”

Adrien pulled her into him, kissing Marinette deeply. Their second kiss gave way to a third, and then a fourth. The glow of Paris—their city—illuminating them from below as they held each other tightly. Before they made it to a fifth, Marinette pulled back.

“Adrien?”

“Yeah?” He replied, tucking an errant hair behind her ear.

“Do you think you could get me a bottle of that cologne?”

Adrien laughed heartily, pulling her into a hug.

“Sure. Anything for you, Milady!”


End file.
